1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the presentation of information using interactive digital technology, and particularly, to a multimedia method and apparatus for presenting a story using a bimodal spine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The digital information age presents opportunities for combining complex combinations of audio, image and text data in previously unknown ways. Existing technology permits a user to access such multimedia data interactively and in nonlinear order. An important factor in development and improvement in this field is the creative use of digital media formats.
Present forms of digital media allow the storage of large quantities of information and permit rapid access to such information in nonlinear order. One such form of new media is the compact disc, which is capable of storing vast quantities of audio, image and text data. The first widespread consumer use of the compact disc format involved the storage of music information for reproduction on home and personal stereo equipment. Critics praised audio compact discs for their fidelity, durability and convenience. In particular, the compact disc offered a significant improvement over vinyl records and magnetic cassettes, which fail to provide rapid access to noncontiguous musical selections.
More recently, with improvements in computer technology, the compact disc has moved to other consumer electronic environments, such as home computers and dedicated multimedia systems. In these broader environments, the compact disc stores audio, image and text data, and it is referred to as CD-ROM, an acronym for "compact disc read only memory." This acronym reflects the present limitation of the format in not providing writing capabilities, which future developments are likely to make available. Because CD-ROM offers a standard format for storing entertainment data, many products are being produced to uniquely exploit the qualities of this medium. Hardware manufacturers, such as Philips, Sega and Sony, have created devices dedicated to CD-ROM applications for the consumer electronics market.
In addition to CD-ROM, developments in computer networks have furthered the accessibility of digital information in previously unknown ways. As a result of exponential improvements in the propagation of electronic data, means are available for effectively interacting with digital media stored on remote databases. As the speed of electronic networks improves, software presently stored on CD-ROM will be available to wide audiences through computer networks. The increasing availability of means to access combinations of audio, image and text data underlies the present invention. Use of a particular storage media--CD-ROM form for standalone use, network form for online use, or some other form--is not essential to implementing the present invention.
Although there is great potential in multimedia technologies, there are at present many limitations, particularly in the software that enables the technology and in the interactive interfaces. Thus, the goal of the present invention is to address the need for multimedia software to accommodate varying levels of user interactivity. A first group of users prefers an interactive role in the presentation of a story, article or other thematic collection of data. These users seek to control their own progression through the story by interactively directing the computer means which presents the story, much like reading a magazine. A second group of users enjoys a passive presentation, more like television. These users seek to limit their interface with the computer means and have the computer means itself tell the story. Still a third group of users prefers a combination of both types of presentation. At times, they seek interactive participation in the process; at other times, they want to relax and passively watch the presentation.
Prior art multimedia software does not sufficiently accommodate the needs of these three disparate user groups. For example, Nautilus' interpretation of an interactive magazine adopts the metaphor of a computer bulletin board, in which a user selects different data elements for individual presentation. Similarly, in Warner New Media's "Desert Storm: The War in the Persian Gulf," a user individually selects and reviews audio, image and text data related to a particular chapter topic. The "Desert Storm" product, however, separately presents audio, image and text data and does not provide an interrelated presentation of the data. Thus, the prior art fails to support a bimodal presentation, in which a user freely toggles between a passive mode and an interactive mode while maintaining narrative continuity between the modes.
Accordingly, it is the goal of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for presenting a multimedia story using a bimodal spine. In the first mode, the user is presented with a narrative story using a synchronized sequence of audio and image information. In this "narrative" mode, the user is substantially passive, i.e., does not interact with the system. The narrative progresses in a sequential order, and although the user may interrupt the story to either jump to a different section of the story or access other information through hypertext features, the user does not need to control the story's presentation. In the second mode, or "exploration" mode, the user controls the flow of the story and interactively participates. He is presented with the same "script" as used in the audio narration of the story, but in text form. The user may also be presented with images corresponding to the text. The user controls the flow of the story by paging through the screens comprising the story and obtaining greater detail about the story through hypertext features. The present invention permits the user to freely toggle between these narrative and exploration modes while maintaining narrative continuity.
The present invention further improves on prior art by permitting access to hypertext features from either mode. The hypertext features allow the user to obtain greater detail about a particular topic within the presentation of the story. While hypertext features are available from either mode, hypertext features return control to the mode from which access was made and at the location at which control was transferred.
It is an additional improvement of the present invention to provide features to complement and expand on the underlying story-telling process. Such features include a library feature, an "Interactive Poll" feature, a "Face-to-Face" feature, and the inclusion of advertising. Further and additional complementary features are apparent from the present specification, such as a simulation feature allowing the user to execute a simulation based on an underlying story, a game feature allowing the user to execute a game based on an underlying story, and numerous other features.